Survey: Majority of Unvaccinated Say FDA’s Approval of Vaccines Doesn’t Change Their Mind

Most of the United States’ unvaccinated population are not moved by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for the Chinese coronavirus, a recent ABC News/Washington Post survey found.

The survey found that unvaccinated Americans are overwhelmingly unfazed by the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s vaccine — a move President Biden hoped would prompt private businesses to “step up” vaccine requirements.

While the survey found the majority of Americans have gotten the jab, data suggests the remaining unvaccinated population, comprised of roughly 90 million in the U.S., are firm in their decision to refuse the shot, wholly unmoved by the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s jab.

Only 16 percent of the unvaccinated said the FDA’s approval shifts their position, making them more likely to get vaccinated. The vast majority, 82 percent, said the FDA’s approval “makes no difference.” Sixteen percent also said they would get the shot if it were required by their employer, but according to the survey, “many more say they’d quit” altogether.

Additionally, the survey found unvaccinated Americans remain skeptical of the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness — seven out of ten.

“Nine in 10 see vaccination as a personal choice rather than a broader responsibility and just 16 percent have been encouraged by someone close to them to get the shot,” the survey found.

Across the board, the survey found a majority of Americans, 59 percent, are not worried about getting sick from the coronavirus.

The survey, taken August 29- September 1, 2021, among 1,006 adults, has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.

It coincides with an Economist/YouGov survey released in August, which found the vast majority of the unvaccinated will not be persuaded to get the jab — not by employer mandates, FDA approval, or pushes from politicians or healthcare professionals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 53 percent of the U.S. population is considered fully vaccinated.